The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-12-21
While the Last Salutes Echo Over the
Kennebec.
Especial to the Press. !

| through a fairer winter day than this has
| been. From its rising in the morning to its
| setting at night it has rolled through elond-
| less sky, and scattered its beams without
| hindrance over the crowds that gathered
| about the Capitol this morning, over the
| glittering funeral pageant at no0ntime, and
| over the silent grave as evening came on.
| There ihave been men buried in Maine
more eminent than Governor Bodwell was;
but it is doubtful if any funeral ceremonies
equal to those of to-day ever occurred in
honor of citizen of this State. The Peabody
| funeral ceremonies at Portland in honor OF
the philanthropic Englishman were un-
| doubtedly more elaborate and magnificent;
but they were the obsequies of foreigner
| in whom the people of Maine had only
passing interest. Many men not yet very
| old have recalled here to-day the impressive
occasion when George Evans, the great
| Whig Statesman Of Maine, was borne to his
grave in the neighforing city of Gardiner,
and the funerals of the two Morrills, Lot NJ
and Anson p, both of which occurred here,
are very recent among the notable funerals
of very eminent Maine men; but all of them
were buried privately, without any of the
pomp and ceremony that have made this
burial SO remarkable. One other Governor
of Maine has died in office, and to his re-
mains were accorded the honors OF public
funeral but when Enoch Lincoln was laid
away in the tomb on these Capitol grounds
nearly sixty years ago Maine was an infant
commonwealth hardly more than half what
it is to-day, her inhabited territory more con-
tracted, and the State pride of her sons yet
l.oI los IF
| full government So the honors paid to
Enoch Lincoln could hardly have equalled
the ceremonies of to-day. For not only were
the streets of the Capital filled with throngs
| of people; but most of those people were
representative men and women, representa-
| tive of all shade of political belief,
| of every social condition found within
our State, of all the varieties Of
religions held by the people Of Maine
Prominent Democrats and prominent Repub-
licans were among the pall-bearers, in the
procession of mourners and in the seats OF
Representatives Hall; Congregational
clergyman made the prayer which opened
the memorial exercises, Universalist deliv-
cred the address, and representatives of the
| Catholic priesthood of Maine sat and gave
| respectful attention with presidents and pro-
fessors of the Protestant colleges of the
| State.
To enumerate the prominent men who
were present would be to enumerate most of
| the prominent men of Maine. From nearly
| all the cities and the towns they came, as
representatives of the municipalities, of po-
| litical clubs. of secret societies, and to show
| their swn personal regard for the dead. The
| trains began to be loaded last night; this
morning they brought additional crowds.
| How many visitors there were in the city it
| is difficult to say. Those who had charge at
| the Capitol today, declare that there were
| five thousand about the building, who tried
| to crowd themselves in From early morn
| ing until the removal of the remains about
| noon, a constant stream of people passed
| through the draped and darkened rotunda,
| by the motionless sentinels, and viewed the
| still form and features that preserved in
| death the expression of honest and indomi-
table purpose that had been SO marked in
life.
| Here to the rotunda repaired the prom
| inent officials, the delegations from cities
and towns, and the representatives OF clubs
and societies; and thence they were ushered
20 the Representatives Hall above, where
the services of the day were to occur The
seating of the visitors was under charge OF
| Hon. William ID. Pennell of Lewiston, ex-
President of the Senate, and A. M. Spear.
| ESQ.,, of Gardiner, member of the Governors
| Council. This task was very difficult The
seating capacity of the hall and its galleries
| is little over five hundred, while the Capitol
| was besieged by thousands, who crowded
| through the rotunda, lined the approaches
| and even the street for long distances on
each side of the State House. Only the
strictest policing could keep the crowds in
their proper places. The militia the police,
and all the available force of General Harris,
Superintendent of Public Buildings, were
| called into use. Invited guests and all the
| delegations were kept strictly in their proper
places, No privileges were granted to any
one. One of the most prominent citizens OF
| Portland. an official OF the United States
| service, was summarily ordered out OF Repre-
| sentatives' Hall by an officer who took him
recalled with apologies. But such mistakes
| as this were few; in general 1.-THE crowd was
handled well and with little confusion.
The ceremonies were to begin at IL O'Clock;
| but it was quarter to II before all the prom
| inent men and delegations had been seated.
Representatives Hall was completely
packed, all the galleries were full and crowds
filled the entries and the doorways. At 10
| o'clock Governor Marble had received
the prominent men in the Governors
| room. which was draped in black and
white; as the hour for the services approach
ed they were all seated in the hall. Near the
| Speakers desk sat Mrs. Bodwell, heavy
veil over her face and her head bowed. By
her side was her son, and with them General
Tiiden, long Governor BodwelPs friend and
adviser. Governor Marble sat in the front
row at the left of the Speakers desk, and
behind him, arrayed in blue and gold, were
the gentlemen of the Governors staff and
the Brigade staff with General Mitchell.
With Adjutant General Gall sgher was AdJu-
Colonels Rockwell and Currier. of Governor
Ames's staff. Governor Ames of Massachu-
setts and Governor Sawyer of New Hamp-
shire were unable to be present Five for